Shock-absorbing stabilizing device for automobiles



Dec. 19,1922. I 1,439,346.

l P. A. WEIGEL.

SHOCK ABSRBING STABILIZING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

4 FILED DEC- 8. |92I.'

4o if", :"1" .1 A k 1 Il.; l'l' ////,f////%/ y2 Patented Dec. i9, ll922.

PHILIP A. werent, or avna'roiv, NEW anasnv,

snoek-ansonsme sfranrrrzins nnvronron nn'roraosrtns.

Application med December e, 192i. serial No.' 520,205.

To all wlw/m, t may concern:

Be it known that l,-fPHiLiP A. l/Vnieni, a citizen of the United States, residing at Riverton, inthe county of Burlington and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new yand useful -lmprovements inf Shoclollbsorbing Stabilizing Devices for Automobiles, n

` posite ends upset to `:form sockets 23 and, 24

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates toa shock-absorbingV stabilizing devicefor automobiles.

Theprincipal object of the invention is to provide a 'device that will prevent accidents to the front wheels or steering mechanism of automobiles in the event that the vsaid yfront wheels should come in contact with` a stone, rut, or other obstacle in the road while the car is in motion.

A further object of the invention is to pyrovide means lin connection with a device of the character stated, that in the event said steering' mechanism should become inoperable, by .reason 4of the breaking of a main spring of the stabilizing device, due to the crystallizationv of the metal or from other Causes, safety latches will automatically 'operate therewith, whereby the automobile may still be operated in the conventional manner.

These objects and other advantageous ends l attain by means olthe mechanism hereinaft-er described, reference 'to be had to the accompanying drawings, 'in which Figure l is a plan view of the left hand portion of anautomobile, in outline, with the chassis removed, illustrating my stabilizing device operably connected with the steeringmechanism; j f

Figure 2 ris a longitudinal view Iof my stabilizing device on line 2-2 oi. l; fligure 3 isl a-transverse sectional view on line 3-3 oi Fig. 2;L and c n Figure 4`is a sectional elevational view on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. f f

A Referring now more Vparticularly to the several figures of the drawing, wherein similar reference characters indicate like parts from which said socketl a shaft 16 isoperablyconlviected with the steering post 17 of a hand-wheel i or lugs 21 and 22 at each end thereof, secured in the sockets 14 and l5, respectively, as particularly illustrated in Fig. l ot the drawing.

Duplicate rods l9and 20 having their optare substitutedv for said conventionally horizontally extending rod. l

The said duplicate-rods 19 and20 are of equal length but are positioned on a longitudinal plane, in spaced relation with each other so as to form'essentially one rod and so that the'socket end portion of each rod extends an equal distance beyond the terminal of the opposite rod, as particularly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

rlhe said rod lugs 2l and 22 are adapted t besecuredin the sockets 23 and 24 by cross pins 25.

Said rods19 and 20 lare secured inthe relative and spaced relation,y as described above, by means of duplicate locking mem#` bers 26 and 27, as particularly shown in Fig.L 2 of the. drawing;

As said locking-members 26` and 27 are exactly counterparubut are positioned in reverse order on the rods l9yand 20, but one of said members, vim-26, will be described in detail.

Locking member 26 comprises an outer shell or casing 28, an inner cupped shell or casing 29, consisting of the `two circular sectors 30 and 31, slotted laterally as at 32 and to receive `the integral lugs and 36 of av latch'slidingsleeve 34. Thesaid locking member' 26 terminates in a lug;I having a lateral opening 3S therethrough'for the positioning `therein ol the free end of the `rod 20.

- Said freecend of the rod 2O` is reduced in diameter adjacent its terminal'to form al shoulder 39 within said opening 38 to limit the forward movement of said rod 20,* A nut 40k is threaded on the portion ol the reduced rod 2O projecting through said open` insane.

4Main compression springs 4l, 42, 43 and *i 44 are positionedaround the rods 19. and 20, asparticularly illustrated in Fig. 2 oi' the drawing. Springs 4l and 42 are adapted for ilo compression between the sockets 23 and 2e and the outer surfaces ot the outer casings of the locking members 26 and 27', and the springs i3 and le are adapted for compres-y sion between said ,locking members 26 and 27.

Compression springs 45 and 46, or lesser' compression than the main springs 4l, 42, i3 and del, are lpositioned around the rods i9 and 20, within the locking` members 26 and 27, and are adapted for compression between the inner cupped shell 29 and the sleeve Lugs l? and if are vprovided on the lower portion ofthe shell 29 to maintain said shell 29 in aligninent with the casing 28.

rl`he upper portions oi' the sectorsv 30 and 3l oit t--ie cupped shell 29 are cut away as and 58 and two lever latches 50-59 are positionec therein yand in slots -55 in the upper portiono the sleeve Said lever latches 50--50 are itilcriinied by screws :3il therethrough and through the sleeve as particularly shown in Fig. el of the drawing. The arms of Vsaid lever latches :BO-50 overlap and are held in place against the upper inner walls ot' the sectors 30 and 3l. oit the shell 29, centrally thereof, by a spiral spring` i9 positioned in an opening 4:8 in the upper portion .of the sleeve 34.. Said springe/i9 being adapted for compression between the arms of said lever latches 50--50 and the base of said opening e8 in the sleeve 34. When the compression oft the spring i9 is relaxed by the outwardmovement oi' the sectors 30 and 3l of the shell 29, said latch levers 50-50 will engage notches or recesses 53 in the rod 19.

To prevent the sectors4 30 and 31 oi the shell 29 from moving outwardly beyond a determinate point a limit stop 5ft is provided. Said limit 'stop Sie comprises a bar secured to the locking; member 26 by means of screws 5G, as illustrated, and has the dowiuvardly extending;` arms 59 *'9 against which the sectors 30 and Ill. respectively, impinge when the desired limit oiE their travel is reached.

ln operation z--The duplicate rods 19 and 2() are positioned and secured in the manner hereinabove described. When the trout wheel of the automobile encounters an obstruction, the arm i3 on the lmuclzlerjoint il secured to the front axle l2 and in the ball and socket joint le, will cause the rod 20, when the wheel moves inwardly, to compress the spring" 42 inwardly between the socket 23 and the. locking` member 27, and the rod 19, will in unison there-with,.com press the spring); il inwardly between the soclret 24e and the loclrinsiv member 26, the springs 43 and 4.4L remaining, substantially, neutral. vllhen the wheel moves out ardly, the rod 29 will compress the spring, fleioutwardly and between the locking' members 26 and 27, the rod i9, .in unison thorewit" compressing the spring` 4:3 in like manner.

.ln this instance the springs #il and 42 remain, substantially, neutral. The torce ol the impact of the wheel against the obstacle is thus dissipated and cushioned by the :e 'forced to run his car up to the curb at a i1 bstacle contact, which tends to injure or Aiestroy the steering,` mechanism of the car. The device further tends to obviate the tiring` effects on the wrists of driver on a .long drive or over rough roads, as the iront' wheels of the car will readily lend themselves'tothe unevenness or the road by reasonof the springs all, 4t2, e3 and all which gives `a cushioning` eriect to the entire car and its various parts.

lln conjunction with the stal'iilizing` device just described, l have provided a lockingv mechanism within the members 26 and 2 operable upon the breakinc` of a main sinking vbiii, or ele. lWhen a Imain spring, tor example, spring` '4r-3, breaks, the compression thereof is obviously7 relaxed, whereby the spring` lo, which is normally under compression, but of lesser compression than the spring e3, can eXertits pressure unopposed against the sector 30 of the cupped shell 29,`

causingT said sector 30 tovmove outwardly. Illl-ie spring to break will normally be the spring` that is under pressure, hencethere will be no pressure of the4 opposite spring,` el against the opposite sector '31 of the cupped shell 29 and the outward movement o't'the spring; el@ will cause the sector 3l to also move outwardly in unison with the sector 30. These outward movements ot the sect 3l) and 3l release the arms of the lever latches 5() 50 which in turn rela?v the tension ot the spring- 9 whereby sai d. lever latches 5() .50 will notches 53 in the rod i9, maintainiirqI :i rigid condition oli steering` control until the broken spring' can be repaired or replaced.

Alt will now be apparent that l have devised a novel and useful construction which embodies the 'features oi advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement o't the invention and the above description, and while l have in the presentinstance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been iound in practice to give satisfactory and reliable. results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible or modification in various .particulars without i uvention tasres,

lilavingor sacrilicingY any oi its advanrp angle and to cushion the impact, from thus described niy invention what lill scribed, comprising duplicate horizontallyextending rods, locking means to secure said rodsin spaced relation with each other, an

Lend or" one rod being secured to a ball and socket joint connected with the knuckle joint on the front axle and the opposite end of vthe other rod being connected with a like ball andv socket jointconnected with the steering-wheel and compression vmeans mounted on said rods to stabilize the steen.

ing control, substantially as described.

2. A stabilizing device of the class described, coinprisingtwo rods of equal length positioned on a longitudinal plane and in spaced relation by means of duplicatev locking members in spaced relation to each other, so that the free end of each rodextends an equal distance beyond the terminal et the opposite rod, said free ends of said rods terminating in integral sockets adapted to be connected with a ball and Lsocket joint connectedto the knuckle joint on the front axle and alike ball and socket joint con` nected with the steering-wheel, respectively, and compression means positioned on each rod to stabilize the steering control, substantiallyr as described.y

3.1%, stabilizing` device ci' the class described, comprising two rods ot' equallength positioned on a longitudinal plane and in spaced relation, duplicate locking members, in spaced relation and in inverted order, to hold said rods in position and so that the free end oteachl rod extends an equal dis,-

-tance beyond the terminal of the opposite rod, lateral openings in said members for the passage of said rods, lugs on said members iaving lateral openings for the positioning therein of the opposite ends oi said rods, the tree ends of said rods terminating in integral sockets adapted to `be connected with a ball and socket joint connected to the knuckle joint on the front axle and a like ball and socket joint connected with the steering-wheel, respectively, and compression means positioned on each rod to stabilize the steering control, substantially as described.

4. A stabilizing device ot' theclass described, comprising two rods of equal length positioned on a longitudinal plane and Yin spaced relation by means of duplicate locking members in spacedrelation to each other, so that the free end of each rod extends an equaldistance beyond the terminal of the opposite rod, said free ends terminating in sockets adapted to be connected with a ball and socket joint connected with the knuckle joint on the front axle and a like ball and socket joint 'connected with the steeringwheel, respectively, springs positionedl on said rods 'and adapted for compression inwardly between the said sockets and said lockinginembers by the inward movement of thel frontwheel oi' the car and like springs positioned .on said rods adapted iior coinpression outwardly by the outwardiuovef ment of said wheel, substantially as described.

5..A`s'tabiliziiig devicefot the class described,v comprising duplicate horizontally extending rods, locking means to secure said rods in spaced relation with each other,

an end of one rod being secured to a ball and socket joint connected with the knuckle joint on the front axle'vand thel opposite end of the other rod being` vconnected with a like ball and socket joint connected with the steering-wheel, springs mounted on saidv rods 4to stabilize the steering-control andv latch mechanism operably connected with said locking means adapted to operate upon the breaking of any of said springs, substantially as described.

6. ln a stabilizing device oi the class described, Vprovided with duplicate horizontally extending rods, duplicate locking members to secure said rods in spaced relation with each other and a plurality of springs mounted on said rods exteriorly of said lock* ing members, latch mechanism operably` positioned within eachvoil said locking inembers, each latch mechanism comprising a lateral opening through the casing of said locking member, a sleeve mounted on each of said rods, a two sector inner cupped shell slotted laterally to receive lugs on said sleeve,

means to secure said casing to said lugs,

springs mounted on said rod within said casing of lesser compression than the exterior springs on said rod, compressed between said sleeve and the sectors of said 'A cuppedk shell, lever latches secured to said sleeve, the arms thereof overlapping yand the.

outer armthereofv being held against the said sectors at their junction compression means, whereby upon the breaking oi an exterior spi-ing on said rod, said sectors will be forced* outwardly, releasing the compression on said lever latches which thereby will engage notches on said rod, substantially as described. j

7. ln a stabilizing device oi' the class det scribed, provided with duplicate horizontally extending rods, duplicate locking members to secure said rods in spaced relation with each other and aplurality of springs mounted on said rods exteriorly of said locking members, latch mechanism operably positioned within each of said locking members,

each latch mechanism comprising a vlateral opening through the casing of said locking member, asleeve mounted on each oit said rods,a two sector inner cupped shell slotted laterally to receive lugs on said sleeve, means to secure said casing to said lugs, springs mounted on said rod within said casing of lesser compression than the exterior springs on said rod, compressed between said sleeve and the sectors of said cupped shell, lever latches secured to sa-dsleeve, the arms thereof overlapping and the outer arm being held against the sind Sectors at their junction by compression means, whereby upon the breaking' ot' un exterior spring on said rod, said klgrssaefe sectors will be forced outwardly, releasing the compression on said lever latches which thereby will engage notches on said rod and means to limit the outward n'lovement o' said sectors, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I ux my signature. PHILIP A. VEGEL. 

